The pet passport confirms the identity of your pet and the fact that it has up to date rabies vaccinations.

A pet passport is obligatory for all dogs in the Valencia region.

It’s also required for cats and ferrets if you plan to take them out of Spain to another country in the European Union.

If you have the old type of documentation, the Sanitary Card (cartilla sanitaria) you can exchange this for a pet passport if you need to travel out of the country.

The passport needs to be issued before your pet is three months old.

Any EU registered vet can issue a pet passport but first your pet will need to be identified (micro chipped) and vaccinated against rabies.

Traveling Abroad

If it is your intention to take you pet out of the country, then think ahead. You need at least six months between the first rabies jab and your travel date. Your vet will administer the vaccine and then a blood test needs to be taken. This normally takes place 30 days or more after the vaccine, but can vary depending on the vaccine used. Assuming that the blood test results are satisfactory (the rabies antibodies are present), you will need to wait six months from the date of the blood test before travel is permitted.

Treatment for parasites

Certain EU countries, including UK and Ireland, require that your pet is certified to be free of parasites before they can enter the country. This must be done between 24 and 48 hours before you check-in. Your vet will treat the pet internally and externally for parasites and enter the details in your pet passport.

Sanctions

If your dog is more than three months old and has not been vaccinated, this is considered a ‘serious infraction’ and a fine of between 600€ and 6,000€ could be imposed.

If your dog is more than three months old and is not micro-chipped, this too is considered a ‘serious infraction’ and can also attract a fine of between 600€ and 6,000€.

Notes

This legislation is specific to the Valencia region and may vary in other regions of Spain.
The rules for EU travel are common for all regions.
If you are planning to travel to or from a non-EU country you may need to apply different legislacion.

Further information

Defra Pet Travel Scheme